An audit report submitted to the Punjab Assembly’s Public Accounts Committee-III has revealed large-scale theft of solar panels from government schools in Rajanpur.
According to the findings, solar panels worth more than Rs6.5 million were stolen from 50 schools during the fiscal year 2022–23. The committee expressed concern and urged police to widen the investigation beyond Rajanpur, warning that similar thefts may have occurred in other districts as well.
Committee member Tanveer Aslam Malik stressed the need for strict directives to district police officers, while also demanding a detailed list of the affected schools and updates on efforts to recover the stolen panels.
Although education officials confirmed that FIRs had been registered, the audit department criticized local authorities for negligence in safeguarding public property, highlighting poor management of the solar installations.
The incident has raised serious concerns about the protection of assets in Punjab’s education sector, with the committee calling for stronger accountability and preventive measures to curb future losses of public resources.
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